contact information: mrs. lisa jenkins 8 th grade language a(rts) email:...
TRANSCRIPT
First Semester (Evolving) Guiding Questions
-Living Author Study (letter writing)-Business Letter-Memoir -The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
**Writer’s Autobiography**Self-selected pieces
How do we communicate?
Why am I the way I am?How do preconceived notions affect our own lives?
Second Semester (Evolving) Guiding Questions
-Technical (How-to) Paper-Poetry-55 Fiction-To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee**Self-selected pieces
Why do we write?How do I judge creativity?Does structure help or hinder my life?To what extent do society's attitudes impact the way we think and act?
Responses to Guiding Question:How can our own preconceived notions affect our own lives?
“Although most of the time we don’t mean to do this, we make preconceived notions, or in other words we jump to conclusions about almost every new person we meet.”
“The world is always connecting people to certain expectations and categories.” “All throughout history you can find something about people or a group of
people dishonoring the human dignity that everyone has.” “We judge people by what we see on the outside, what they dress like, what
they act like, who they hang out with, we all have preconceived notions about everyone.”
“I hear a lot of people say when someone looks at you; you are representing who you are. Appearances affect our opinions but they can be different then the image they have.”
Preconceived notions are a lazy way for the mind not to interact with others.
Grades/Feedback for language arts will be based on the following:
• Writer’s Notebook (10%)FOCUS: Practice portion of class
• Content (14%)FOCUS: Ideas, voice and organization in writing.
• Style and Language Usage(13%) FOCUS: conventions, word choice and fluency.
•Organization (13%) FOCUS: writing for the appropriate genre, audience and context.
Writing is the heart and cornerstone of our class.
Comprehension and Skills (25%)FOCUS: Quizzes, tests, skills workbook, electronic communication
Reading Counts(15%)FOCUS: Student goals for the Reading Counts Program
Work Habits (10%)FOCUS: Non academic items-responsibility, meeting deadlines, completion.
Writing Maintain Writer’s
Notebook Develop two pieces of
writing every six weeks (Electronic Portfolio)
Share writing with others Various genres On line activities
Reading Complete reading
responses 3-5 nights a week
Read prepared Socratic Seminar literature for discussion
Follow assigned chapters for class novels
Read connecting Literature book pieces
Based on students lexile scores (MAPS data)
A reading range is 50 above and 100 below the lexile score
Students take an electronic quiz to earn points or complete a book goal
Students may take a quiz 2 times Students must have an 80% or better to
earn credit for the book selected
Individual reports for students and teachers
Individualized book lists based on a student’s reading interests
Ability to set book goals or point goals for each student
Opportunities for students/teachers to create tests
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